


love that for me

by xoxoHoran



Category: Schitt's Creek
Genre: F/M, I love Alexis, hinted happy endings, just something little, not really an ending, post-the presidential suite
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-22
Updated: 2020-06-22
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:15:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,867
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24850660
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xoxoHoran/pseuds/xoxoHoran
Summary: None of her friends compare to David or Twyla, but she’s happy spending time with them, anyway, and a little glad that she can still honestly say that she hasn’t changed as much as her family might have thought she would when she first announced the move.New York feels like home and she has amazing friends and family. For right now, that’s more than enough.
Relationships: Alexis Rose/Twyla Sands, Stevie Budd/Alexis Rose, Theodore "Ted" Mullens/Alexis Rose, mentioned Alexis Rose/David Rose, mentioned David Rose/Patrick Brewer
Comments: 2
Kudos: 41





	love that for me

**Author's Note:**

> I just started watching Schitt's Creek and absolutely loved it! I had some weird sense of motivation to write this quickly: please don't hate it too much. It definitely isn't my finest work, but it's something and how I genuinely hope Alexis is doing.

It all starts with a simple message, one that catches her completely off guard and causes her to drop her freshly brewed Starbucks latte on the ground.

**TED: I don’t see the porpoise in that.**

Alexis smiles briefly at the pun before recognizing the fact that the message likely is not for her: that she’s been through the same situation a few years earlier, when he had mistakenly messaged her instead of Heather about his preference for bagels (in hindsight, she should have known that wasn’t for her, given the fact that she already knew his preferences and they weren’t getting breakfast together). The same feeling of anxiety and nerves washes over her as she remembers what she had thought then, wondering if the message is _really_ a mistake (knowing Ted and based on past experience, she thinks it’s likely) or if was simply trying to start a conversation with her (they hadn’t really spoken in a few months, since they saw one another last).

**ALEXIS: Hey Ted, I don’t think this message met its proper recipient.**

She cringes when she re-reads her message, though hits the send button anyway, acknowledging how similar to a formal business email it sounds rather than a text message between exes (friends?). Quickly shaking her head, she allows herself a moment to quickly type another message before stuffing her phone into her oversized handbag, heading back toward Starbucks in search of another latte, knowing she’ll need as much caffeine as possible given the day she has ahead.

**ALEXIS: How is everything Galapa-going?**

Smiling, satisfied with her message, she makes a mental note to call Twyla later, to at least discuss the message incident and catch up on how things are going in Schitt’s Creek, knowing that her best friend will likely offer her some honest advice about what to do _if_ Ted responds (usually, she’s better with exes, but everything has always felt a little different when it’s Ted).

* * *

**TED: Sorry about the message, but things are going swimmingly**

His message is finished with a picture of a turtle, which makes her smile, knowing that he’s likely having the best time of his life, doing his dream job.

Though they haven’t really spoken in a few months (Stevie reminds her _constantly_ that she will never move on if she doesn’t put space between she and Ted), she feels a little lighter knowing that he’s still having a great time in the Galapagos, that they made the right decision when they (ambically) split, knowing they both wanted different things (sometimes, she finds all she wants is to be back in Schitt’s Creek with Ted, her family surrounding them, Twyla within walking distance, and she wonders if he ever imagines that, too).

Assuring herself that the message doesn’t leave room for a reply and that it would be _weird_ for her to respond, she returns her focus back to the public relations campaign she’s been drafting for one of her bigger client, sitting in her apartment, notebooks scattered around her.

She allows herself to think about how far she’s come since she first arrived in Schitt’s Creek, selfish and wanting to leave as soon as possible, not caring if she left her family behind. _Old_ Alexis likely would have hated the picture her life has become, the fact that she’s actually doing work and not just getting everything she wants (admittedly, she _still_ can’t cook, though Patrick has been trying to help teach her). Her life is (almost) perfect and it’s nothing like what she would have ever imagined.

Her vibrating phone brings her out of whatever nostalgic haze she’s found herself in, smiling briefly as she looks at the lock screen (a picture of the entire family at David and Patrick’s family – perhaps her family’s best photograph, even though they’ve had pictures professionally taken since before she can remember).

**TED: How’s New York City treating you?**

The message lacks any form of pun, much to her surprise, but she still finds herself smiling: though they’re hundreds (if not thousands, she’s not great with geography) apart, she can tell that his interest is genuine (Ted is nothing if not genuine).

Trying to formulate the perfect response without seeming too eager, she decides to flip her phone so the screen faces the table, forcing herself to focus on the work around her, deciding that she can handle everything else _later_.

* * *

“I always thought you and Ted would make things work,” Twyla practically squeals during their weekly FaceTime, a bright smile stretching across her face that is so familiar Alexis could cry (she doesn’t, thankfully, but the gesture makes her feel a little less alone). “You two were so cute together.”

“Twy, we’re hundreds of miles apart and long distance doesn’t really work for us,” Alexis sighs, looking around her apartment, trying not to allow herself to think about what it might be like to get back together with Ted (she knows things ended _for a reason_ ), but sometimes it doesn’t feel like that reason was enough, sometimes she feels like they could have tried a little harder.

“Alexis-” The tone of Twyla’s voice suggests she’s in for one of her friend’s ‘you can always try again’ lectures, which always emphasize Twyla’s desire to give everyone second chances and her (somewhat) naïve outlook (it’s honestly one of her favorite characteristics of Twyla’s, though right now she can’t help but resent it a little).

“Twyla, I’m sorry, but I actually have to go,” Alexis mutters, quickly ending the call before flipping back to Ted’s message (she still hasn’t responded, though she hasn’t stopped thinking about what she might say).

**ALEXIS: Things are great in the city, definitely busier than in-**

Shaking her head, she quickly erases the message, mentally degrading herself for not trying to think of something more interesting to say (some part of her wonders why she cares so much about a simple message, though it doesn’t deter the part of her that’s yelling that her response has to be _perfect_ ).

**ALEXIS: Busy for sure. My entire apartment looks and smells like the inside of-**

Quickly deleting that message, as well, she sighs before typing an easy (vague) response and holding her breath (she can’t help it), hoping that Ted can’t tell how nervous she was just to reply with a few simple words.

**ALEXIS: Good, busy, bright. Definitely a change of pace from Schitt’s Creek.**

Telling herself that he likely won’t respond and that, even if he does, there is really no harm in a few innocent messages, she quickly opens her computer, determined to get a little more work done before _The Bachelor_ is on (she and Stevie like to watch it together (via phone call) and degrade the contestants for being ‘too desperate’).

* * *

Ted, ever the gentleman, messages her back something about the brightness of the sun and the animals that he’s surrounded by and, though she can’t physically see him, Alexis can perfectly picture the bright smile that likely stretches across his face every day he arrives at work.

She accidentally mentions the messages to Stevie during a commercial break in _The Bachelor_ a few weeks later, when the other woman accidentally mentions Heather Warner, who looks like one of the contestants on the show that Alexis thinks will be going home soon (it’s not her distaste for Heather that makes her think this, but rather the fact that all the woman can talk about is her beauty pageant history). Evidently, Heather is getting married and had stopped by the store to invite David and Patrick, which had seemed a little surprising at first, though eventually made sense (Alexis has never really met anyone who doesn’t like her brother-in-law).

With the mention of Heather brings back her memories of sitting at Warner Farms next to David, trying to act calm and collected as she watched the older woman and Ted together, settled into a routine of domesticity that she found somewhat awkward and heartbreaking (former, before Schitt’s Creek Alexis would have hated the interaction, as well, though for a completely different set of reasons).

Though it seemingly doesn’t take much these days, Alexis’s thoughts stray to Ted, which Stevie can somehow sense (the girl is _weirdly_ perceptive), which leads to her babbling on about the messages and how confused she’s been feeling these past few weeks (she has stopped mentioning them to Twyla, who always encourages her to ‘see where things go,’ and hasn’t even dared mention them to Patrick or David, knowing their judgement will be too much to handle).

Instead of criticizing her (which, honestly, Alexis has been doing a lot of), Stevie seems sympathetic and reminds her that messages her ex-boyfriend will not help her move past him, inquiring briefly about her love life (which, embarrassingly, is non-existent) and suggesting that she at least _tries_ to move forward (as if Alexis hasn’t _considered_ it).

The subject is dropped the second Chris Harrison’s voice is heard, the lavish mansion flashing on the screen, with Alexis promising she will at least _try_ to move on and Stevie assuring her that David would never hear about the messages (though Stevie doesn’t say it, Alexis is sure that the other woman knows she’s lying through her teeth, but, for the first time, she doesn’t call her out on it, instead allowing her to keep pretending).

* * *

Alexis falls into a routine with Ted, exchanging messages daily about things ranging from her latest client’s bizarre problem (like the woman who was seen peeing on the subway and was searching for representation – Alexis had recommended she seek _legal_ representation) to the little things Ted observes in the Galapagos (like a turtle giving birth, apparently – he had sent like five messages about that, excitement clear in all of them).

There are, of course, things they don’t discuss: Heather, David and Patrick’s wedding (and the fact that she was wearing a wedding dress in the pictures they both know he saw), anyone the other is potentially seeing (she isn’t seeing anyone, but she doesn’t say it because she’s worried it makes her sound a little desperate and like she hasn’t moved on after him – which, she hasn’t, though he doesn’t need to know that).

She goes on a few first dates, but no one really stands out as someone she can see herself potentially settling down with (and ew, since when was that something she actually considered), so she usually doesn’t call them back. She makes a few new friends in the city: a girl who goes to the same coffee shop she does and likes to discuss things like _zodiac signs_ and celebrity gossip, a guy who runs the same route around the city that she does, who keeps a generally similar pace and is always looking for companionship. None of her friends compare to David or Twyla, but she’s happy spending time with them, anyway, and a little glad that she can still _honestly_ say that she hasn’t changed as much as her family might have thought she would when she first announced the move.

New York feels like home and she has amazing friends and family. For right now, that’s more than enough.


End file.
